Sant Rampal, the controversial head of the Satlok Ashram in Haryana, was convicted in two separate cases of murder today. Rampal was convicted by Hisar court on charges of murder in a 2006 case relating the death of a woman supporter. Rampal was also convicted on the charges of murder in a 2014 case that dealt with the deaths of four women and a child.

The verdict was pronounced at the Hisar Central Jail through makeshift court via video conference. A total of 23 people, including Rampal, have been convicted in the two cases.

The quantum of punishment will be announced separately in both cases on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rampal was arrested on November 19, 2014 after thousands of security personnel laid siege to the Satlok Ashram. Rampal’s followers had resisted the previous attempts by police to arrest him. Meanwhile, the Haryana Police fortified Hisar with the deployment of 1,800 policemen ahead of the court verdict against self-styled godman Sant Rampal.